While many Christians are debating the value and dangers of contextualization in missions and evangelism, Bishop takes us beyond the rhetoric to meet the people and experience the faith of several followers of Christ that don’t fit the traditional western mold. Bishop introduces us to the contextualized worship and belief of believers from Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, and North American First Nations people. He examines how the core of the gospel is understood by these new believers and how it is lived out within their unique cultural setting.

The book provides several good examples of ethnohermeneutics, the practice of interpreting the message of the Gospel within the ethnic context of the learner, using the tools and beliefs that are common to that culture.

What I appreciate most about Bishop’s book is that he goes beyond the simple identification of how “they” are different from “us.” He helps the reader develop a greater understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus by demonstrating the deep faith and committed obedience of “Disciples” who have met Jesus in very different ways and have learned to walk with Him within the confines of their own culture. I strongly recommend this book to the church in Canada and the United States. It will broaden our understanding of our new neighbors. We can learn a lot from our brothers and sisters around the world.

*A review copy of this Book has been provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communicationsand Baker Books in exchange for an honest review.